Meet Sam, a self-proclaimed "hopeful musician and wonderful man." Can't argue with that. Here, he shares five of his all-time favorite songs.

1. "Inward" (ft. Famey & Enda Story) by Too Many Zooz: Too Many Zooz, a three-piece trumpet/sax/percussion group that rose to prominence playing in the New York City subway system, are already plenty dynamic on their own. Their debut LP, Subway Gawdz, showcases the trio's ability to dabble in a wide variety of genres without deviating from their brassy and distinct sound. On this track, they are joined by rappers Famey and Enda Story, who wonderfully complement each other as well as the band. The end result is five masters of their craft doing what they do best in an absolutely wonderful collaboration of a song. Favorite lyric: "I'm the captain, f**k that dude Picard, hoodie on, f**k that Lou Vuitton,..."

2. "Yesterday" by Atmosphere: The duet known as Atmosphere never fails to include character, storytelling, and raw emotion in their material. "Yesterday" encapsulates all of the above, as Slug tells the story of his missing someone and wishing things with that person ended differently than they did. At the end of the final verse, he reveals something entirely unexpected that forces you to rewind to the very beginning of the song and give it another listen from a completely different perspective. Favorite lyric: "I didn't mean to be distant, make a visit, I'll wait up and keep the coffee brewing in the kitchen..."

3. "intro" by clipping. from midcity: clipping. is comprised of noise producer Jonathan Snipes, composer William Hutson, and rapper Daveed Diggs. The group's debut full-length mixtape, midcity, begins with a game of tag between the three, as Diggs spits absolutely relentless and rapid-fire bars (totally acapella) packed with stunning detail about drugs and violence. After each lightning-speed verse, Snipes and Hutson chime in with a blast of violent, ear-crunching noise that is somehow a perfect fit with Diggs' voice and delivery. Favorite lyric: "This murder ain't bout nothing but murdering snitches and burning bridges with all the b*****s who used to swing on the d**k like it's good for physical fitness..."

4. "Play Crack The Sky" by Brand New: The final track on Brand New's renowned album Deja Entendu, "Play Crack The Sky" is an emotional rollercoaster of a journey that examines love and heartbreak through the lens of a shipwreck. Even better is that the lyrics are based on actual events; the shipwreck of the FV Pelican in 1951. Favorite lyric: "Your tongue is a rudder, it steers the whole ship / sends your words past your lips, or keeps them safe behind your teeth / but the wrong words will strand you, come of course while you sleep / sweep your boat out to see or dashed to bits on the reef..."

5."Mouthful of Cavities" by Blind Melon: Mouthful of Cavities is a peek through the blinds at a soul weighed down by isolation, depression, addiction, and helplessness. Lead singer Shannon Hoon's tragic death came shortly after the release of Soup (the album this song is from), and Mouthful of Cavities finds him completely surrounded by loneliness, despair, and self-awareness of the shape he's in. Blind Melon fan Jena Krauss provides background vocals, and the pair's bone-chillingly haunting harmonies add a tremendous amount to the almost eerie feel of the song. Favorite lyric: "I write a letter to a friend of mine, tell him how much I used to love to watch him smile, see I haven't seen him smile in a little while..."